Miss Molly and friend at the Fan Museum... (Photo Courtesy of Amanda)

I’ve received more questions here and on Facebook about Molly’s lovely gown, which she wore in Greenwich during the tour. Molly borrowed the dress from a friend and has graciously gotten the information from her on how it was made! Here you go:

A young lady named Anna used to frequent the S&S Message Forum, and she was an 1860s lover. She made some of the most gorgeous costumes from that era I’ve seen and had many historical balls. In fact, she’s the one that inspired us to try and get balls started here. But I digress… She made a simply stunning white and pink ball gown for a friend of hers that my sister just fell in love with. You can see pictures at http://www.thegracefullady.com/ladiessociety/christmas_ball04.htm , third row down.

That gown was my starting point. I really love working with Sandra Altman’s amazing patterns, so I choose Past Patterns‘ #704 1863 Ball Gown Bodice as a base for the bodice. The sleeves she just wanted big and puffy, and that was simple enough for me to draft. Anna also had instructions (click to see them) on one of her websites for making a historically accurate 1860s skirt, so I used those for the skirt.

For the trim at the neckline, I made it up as I went. Scrap crepe for the blue center and white satin ribbon for the edges. It took a little tweaking for it to hit exactly where I wanted it.

Thanks for sharing, Molly!